COVID-19: Saraki’s Foundation Partners PocketPatientMD with E-health Check Tool

Rebecca Ejifoma

Mrs. Toyin Saraki’s Wellbeing Foundation Africa has launched a new e-health check tool in partnership with PocketPatientMD to make free ‘COVID-19 Health Check’ available to all 200 million Nigerians.

The digital e-health tool, soon to be complemented by a mobile application and an offline version, aims to educate the public on how to stay healthy; provide users with information about whether or not they need to be tested for the COVID-19; give public officials critical insights into vulnerable populations while providing early identification of potential COVID-19 hotspots around the country.

Saraki, who is also the Special Adviser to the World Health Organisation Africa Office Independent Advisory Group, said: “This is a first-of-its-kind tool in the global fight against this pandemic.”

According to her, the health platform has the potential to be an effective early warning system, accelerating the response time of public health officials with limited resources, and giving every Nigerian accurate and immediate health advice.

“Our efforts will complement the heroic efforts of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all those working to solve this unprecedented challenge,” she pledged.

The Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, commending the efforts of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, noted how important it is “that Nigerians have the tools that enable them to take proactive steps to protect their health as we work hard to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19”.

The National Coordinator of the federal government’s Response to COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, described the tool as “a welcome digital innovation to help Nigerians better understand their potential risks and symptoms and direct them to government resources for any required follow-up”.

In keeping with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s directive on staying home to curb the spread of the pandemic, the tool refers users directly to both the NCDC and state government hotlines for medical advice on how to get tested.

The Co-founder and CEO of PocketPatientMD, Mark Wien, expressed that the focus of the partnership was to reach as many Nigerians as possible. “We are honoured to partner Her Excellency, Toyin Saraki who has a global reputation as an advocate for the vulnerable and a champion of better healthcare for all”.

The e-health check tool is available for free at https://covid19.wbfafrica.org/ and users can access real-time updates on how to stay connected, safe, and healthy during the pandemic on Instagram and Twitter @Wellbeing_PPMD, and @WellbeingPPMD on Facebook.